|
|
Students join thousands in D.C. anti-war protest |
|
|
|
Thursday, 01 February 2007 |
by JULIA MERCHANT
Intern News Reporter
“Drop Bush, Not Bombs” and “Impeach Bush” were among the signs reflecting the sentiments of tens of thousands of anti-war protesters, including students from Appalachian State University, who marched on the nation’s capitol Saturday.
 Active Image | Courtesy of Katie Ford
Appalachian students involved with the Campus Anti-War Network drove to Washington, D.C., to protest the war in Iraq and the Bush administration.
|
“The
feeling of the protest wasn’t just against the war but against the
[President George W.] Bush administration. We’re sick of them and we’re
sick of Congress doing nothing about it,” Matt H. Cronheim, a junior
political science major, said.
Members of Appalachian’s Campus Anti-War Network, including Cronheim,
left Boone in the middle of the night in order to arrive in Washington,
D.C., in time for the event.
The protest was estimated to attract a crowd of 100,000, according to
CNN reports, though police no longer give official estimates.
Cronheim spotted members of “church groups, school groups, anarchists and civil rights groups [at the event].”
“It’s absolutely essential for the subgroups of the opposition to unite. We’re all there for one reason,” he said.
Katie W. Ford, a senior photography major who attended the protest with
other members of the National Organization for Women, admitted that
although she was pleased with the number of groups and individuals
coming out to support the event, she would have liked to see more
diversity among the attendees.
 Active Image | Courtesy of Katie Ford
War protestors peacefully carried signs Saturday hoping to spark congressional anti-war action in Washington D.C.
|
Ford said like many protests she has been to, most of the audience
seemed to be composed of white, upper-middle class individuals.
Speakers at the event included such high-profile celebrities as Sean
Penn, Susan Sarandon, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Cindy Sheehan, as well
as lesser-known personalities.
Ford said she was most moved by a 12-year-old girl who spoke at the event.
“It was interesting to hear someone so young, adamant and concerned about what’s going on in our country,” Ford said.
Cronheim was captivated by speeches given by Iraq veterans and family
members of soldiers who spoke of disappointment and feelings of
betrayal toward the U.S. government.
He said most of the families were “not otherwise activists” but felt compelled to speak out about their opposition to the war.
Cronheim and Ford, both experienced protesters (Cronheim attended his
first protest at age 16, Ford at 17), shared many of the same
sentiments about this protest being relatively quiet compared to some
they have attended in the past.
For example, neither of the two saw anyone get arrested –
“surprisingly,” Cronheim said – which was in sharp contrast to recent
protests, such as the one at Bush’s inauguration.
Ford remembers seeing visible resistance and police clad in protective gear, armed with pepper spray at that protest.
“Other protests I’ve seen have had more direct action,” Ford said.
Cronheim did witness a bit of direct action when he and others rushed
the steps of the Capitol building, ignoring police blockades.
The relative civility of this protest did not mean there were not disagreements.
Counter-protesters accused Cronheim and other activists of being “commies” and “hippies.”
“It’s so blatantly ignorant to think the opposition to the war is just
a bunch of so-called hippies and commies … it’s made up of families,
children and grandparents and is not just super leftist and radically
liberal,” he said.
Ford and Cronheim have each faced flack from numerous people who don’t
understand the effectiveness of protesting the war, but both are
steadfast in their belief that what they are doing is effective.
“I had a friend say to me, ‘Did you stop the war today Katie?’ Of
course not. It’s just about supporting the numbers. If the normal
population of average Americans sees how many people are resistant, it
helps them to think about this war and why we’re in it,” Ford said.
Cronheim agrees, “We need to show each other we’re not alone in the fight, and that we, as individuals, can make a difference.”
Trackback(0)
 |
|
|
TrackBack URI for this entry
Show/Hide comments